All articles by Wendy Mitchell – Page 75
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Features
United Kingdom - Shaking things up
Summing up the frustrations of many of his peers, Edward Fletcher of Soda Pictures says simply: "It's difficult to be an independent in the current climate."Fletcher and co-managing director Eve Gabereau started the indie UK distributor in 2002 when foreign-language and arthouse films seemed to be connecting with audiences. But ...
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News
Sheffield Docfest to offer eighth UK touring programme
The Sheffield Docfest is working with the BFI to launch its UK tour at the Barbican in London on March 7, in partnership with Dochouse. The Sheffield touring programme is now in its eighth year and includes highlights from the November festival. The tour will travel for three months to ...
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News
UKFC Development Fund backs projects from Kudos and Vertigo
The UK Film Council's Development Fund has announced the latest round of projects it is supporting with National Lottery awards. The projects being funded include spy satire Blowback, which is written by Rupert Walters and will be produced by Stephen Garrett and Paul Webster at Kudos. That film gets $121,892 ...
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John Wilkinson to depart UK's Cinema Exhibitors' Association
John Wilkinson, who has served as chief executive of the UK-based Cinema Exhibitors' Association (CEA) since 1990, plans to step down from his post. He will remain in place until a replacement has been found. Barry Jenkins, chairman of CEA, said: 'John has successfully led the Association for 17 years ...
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European cinema admissions up 4% during 2006
Cinema attendance in Europe was up 4% in 2006, according to new research from the European Audiovisual Observatory.Of the 25 member states of the EU, EAO tracks 20 countries, 17 of which sold more cinema tickets in 2006 than in 2005. Eastern Europe showed the greatest leaps, with Lithuania's attendance ...
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News
Cowan and Wheeldon kick off new UK genre production outfit TFD
Paul Cowan and Chris Wheeldon have launched new UK production company Territorial Film Developments (TFD), which will finance and produce at least three thrillers or comedies per yer with a budget under $1.9m (£1m). The company's first feature is Black Water, being made with the Australian Film Commission. The crocodile ...
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Ecosse, RPC and Samuelson team for new UK film fund
Three of the UK 's top independent production companies - Ecosse Films, Recorded Picture Company (RPC) and Samuelson Productions - are teaming to create Visible Films. The new collaboration will work as an Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) to take advantage of the UK government's new film tax credit. Under EIS ...
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News
ThinkSync launches short film and music competition
London-based ThinkSync Films has launched its second competition bringing together independent film-makers and independent record labels and music publishers. Film-makers will submit short films of the theme 'Twist', using one or more tracks from the music freely downloadable at the ThinkSync website. Films should not resemble music videos, and they ...
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News
UK's Birds Eye View to close with Collyer presenting Sherrybaby
London's Birds Eye View Film Festival, devoted to women filmmakers, will present its third edition from March 8-14 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and National Film Theatre. The gala opening on International Womens Day will be introduced by Jerry Hall and include a programme of international shorts. The festival ...
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News
AV Pictures closes Berlin deals on Black Water and Daylight Robbery
London-based sales company AV Pictures finished this year's EFM with a slew of deals on several films in its slate. Australian crocodile thriller Black Water sold to 11 territories including Presidio Film in Japan, FEG in Benelux and Notro Films in Spain. Andrew Traucki and David Nerlich are directing and ...
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News
London Australian Film Festival to open with Jindabyne
The 13th London Australian Film Festival will open March 15 with Ray Lawrence's Jindabyne and close on March 25 with Rolf de Heer's Ten Canoes. The 10-day event returns to the Barbican to present 25 new features, including for the first time all the 2006 Australian Film Institute award winners. ...
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News
Liverpool starts scheme for three low-budget features
The UK city of Liverpool is starting a scheme for three feature films to be shot there in the run up to the 2008 Capital of Culture celebrations. North West Vision is partnering with the Liverpool Culture Company, the UK Film Council and the BBC for the Digital Departures scheme.Each ...
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News
Actors union strikes groundbreaking podcast deal in UK
UK actors union Equity has struck what it believes is the first deal covering contractual rights for performers in a podcast. The agreement is with B7 Productions, which is producing an updated audio version of 1970s sci-fi show Blake's 7. Actors working on the project (due for release this spring) ...
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News
South West Screen plans film financing event
UK regional screen agency South West Screen is planning a one-day film finance conference in Bristol on March 16. The event is aimed at producers and directors with some industry background. More updated programme information on Funding Your Feature and booking instructions can be found at www.swscreen.co.uk. Speakers coming to ...
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News
Ascot Elite takes German-speaking rights to Shrooms
Switzerland 's Ascot Elite has bought rights to all German-speaking territories for Paddy Breathnach's horror thriller Shrooms. Capitol Films closed the deal after a bidding war during Berlin's European Film Market. Capitol's head of sales James Norrie and Ascot Elite COO Stephan Giger negotiated the deal. Shroomsstars Lindsay Haun and ...
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Medb Films opens post-production studios
Medb Films has opened its new post-production studios in Ramsgate, Kent. The facilities include a 20-seat screening room/mixing studio, an HD Final Cut Pro edit suite and an Avid Media film composer. The studio facilities are based at a boutique hotel that can provide accomodations. 'We wanted to create a ...
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News
Sony Classics gets North American rights for The Children Of Huang Shi
Sony Pictures Classics has taken North American rights to Roger Spottiswoode's The Children Of Huang Shi. The epic tale is set in war-ravaged China in 1938. Production on the project ends today in Shanghai, with a cast including Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Radha Mitchell, Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh. Arthur Cohn ...
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Banderas' Summer Rain wins Europa Cinemas prize in Berlin
Antonio Banderas' Summer Rain (El Camino de los Ingleses) won the Europa Cinemas Label prize for Best European film in Berlinale Panorama. The award comes with theatrical exposure and additional promotion from the Europa Cinemas network of 690 cinemas. The jury for the Europa Cinemas prize was comprised of four ...
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Features
Outsider's view
Fans of David Mackenzie's earlier films The Last Great Wilderness, Young Adam and Asylum will not be too surprised by his new feature Hallam Foe, he predicts. "I thought it was an opportunity to do something that goes with the general flow of my work," he says of the project, ...
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UK's executive programme Inside Pictures names 15 participants
The UK's prestigious Inside Pictures programme, now run through the Film Business Academy at Cass Business School, has selected 15 applicants for its 2006-2007 programme. The new participants are:Darren Bender, head of development/producer, Bigger PicturesEd Clarke, head of development & acquisitions, Capitol FilmsChris Collins, producer, Home Movies LtdPeter Ettedgui, producer, ...